When buying a diamond, the 4 C's are not enough!

Nearly everyone who has ever shopped for a diamond, whether it was a pair of diamond earrings, a diamond pendant or a diamond engagement ring, has heard of the 4 C's. Color, clarity, cutting and carat weight. These four qualities of a diamond are very important to know when making a purchase. But they are not enough to determine whether you are truly getting your money's worth. Beware! There are a few very important "other" qualities you should know about before you plunk down several thousand dollars or more on a diamond!

When we meet with diamond customers here at Cormier Jewelers in Southbridge, we of course discuss the 4 C's. We go into detail about how Cutting is the most important factor when buying a diamond, closely followed by Color. Cutting is what gives a diamond brilliance, sparkle and beauty. A poorly cut diamond has little brilliance, dull sparkle and lacks beauty. The human eye can detect color far better than it can detect microscopic inclusions or flaws within a diamond, so color is more important than the diamond's Clarity. Carat weight, well . . . there's a hot debate as to whether a diamond's size is more or less important than some of the other C's. The truth is that a diamond's size is usually most important to a woman, and if that's true then it surely adds to the importance of Carat weight. That aside, there are a few other criteria we educate our customers about when they come to us shopping for a diamond.

The first thing we like to point out is Fluorescence.
What is fluorescence? Some diamonds, about a third of all diamonds in fact, will glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. To test for this, a diamond is put under a black light and the intensity and color of the glow is noted. A diamond that has no fluorescence or weak fluorescence is ALWAYS more valuable than a comparable diamond that has medium or strong fluorescence. Why? Because a diamond that fluoresces strongly will start to glow when it is worn in the sunshine, and though you may no notice the diamond glowing, it will look hazy and dull. The fluorescence dulls it's sparkle, and there is nothing that can be done to correct that. So we always recommend buying a diamond that has no or weak fluorescence. Yes, you will spend a little more money, but it is well worth it.

Next, we discuss the Girdle of the diamond.
The Girdle is the edge of the diamond that separates the diamond's top or crown from the diamond's bottom or pavilion. This edge is very important for two reasons. First, if the Girdle edge is too thin it can lead to damage. A Girdle rated as very thin or extremely thin will not hold up under everyday wear without eventually chipping. No one wants their diamond to chip. Second, a Girdle rated as Extremely Thick is a hazard for a different reason. The Girdle edge is what is cradled by the prongs holding your diamond into the setting. If the Girdle is too thick, the diamond will loosen in the prongs and will be difficult to tighten.

Finally, I stress the importance of "strictness of grading". Just because someone judges a diamond to be G color and VS1 clarity doesn't mean it is a G, VS1. How strict the grader is when judging the quality of the diamond is extremely important. We liken it to a teacher grading a term paper. One teacher may give an A on a term paper, and another may give a C+ for the very same paper. The difference in the grade is all about how strict the teacher is when judging the term paper, after all it is the very same paper. It is true with diamonds as well. Most diamonds nowadays come with Certification papers. These papers can be issued from any number of Laboratories. Some of the well known Labs are the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the AGS (American Gem Society) and the EGL USA Gemological Lab. But there are many more. In our opinion, only the GIA and AGS Labs are strict graders. A diamond judged to be a G, VS1 by either of those Labs is going to be a G, VS1, while the other labs will grade the same diamond to be a higher grade. How does that affect you and your wallet? If you are buying a diamond that is graded to be a D color, VVS1 clarity by one of these looser Labs and the diamond is actually a G color, VS1 clarity (several grades lower) then you are paying too much for that diamond. Only buy a diamond certified by the GIA or AGS. Sometimes an EGL USA certification can be okay. But why risk it? And insist that the jeweler you buy from also be certified by the GIA in diamond grading. That way the jeweler can confirm the grades as accurate. Here at Cormier Jewelers in Southbridge, we are indeed certified by the GIA in diamond grading.

So if you are looking for a diamond, visit our Diamond Search Engine and keep in mind this article. You can thanks us later!


Shawn Cormier
Cormier Jewelers
42 Central Street
Southbridge, Ma 01550
1-508-764-7415
www.ecormiers.com
CormierJewelers@aol.com